


starbursts

by toxicmew



Series: when the sun rises [1]
Category: NCT (Band), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pokemon Fusion, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up Together, M/M, Pokemon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:26:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22046347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toxicmew/pseuds/toxicmew
Summary: Twelve years ago, Chenle met Jisung for the first time.The younger boy had been an absolute wreck, crying over his lost Azurill and looking pitiful in the hallway of their apartment building.Chenle offered up his Growlithe's nose in assistance, and the rest was history.
Relationships: Park Jisung/Zhong Chen Le
Series: when the sun rises [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1588033
Comments: 11
Kudos: 79





	starbursts

**Author's Note:**

> hello uwu welcome to the first fic in a series that has truly become my baby. this fic in particularly was the first one i began, and its google doc actually becomes a year old today so i was Determined to get it out. if you've seen me screaming about my pokemon au on twitter, this is it. this is the culmination of being pokemon's bitch for almost twenty years now.
> 
> there's other fics in the works rn (nomin and jaewin most notably, but a potential xiaodery is also there) and they'll be released when the time comes.
> 
> still, there's also the fact that this _will_ be all in the same timeline, and that could make things confusing in the long run. that's why, for both my own and your convenience, i've created a spreadsheet during a fit of procrastination that has the timeline organized and will eventually be updated when other fics come out and linked in the series' description. for now, here's the version for this fic 
> 
> **  
> [TIMELINE](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12IMW9Zmb2dQ5Hsz52-AU6_0jyn4ym02H4zre6i99H6g/edit?usp=sharing)  
> **
> 
> in regards to the dates, after reading through the history of the pokemon world on [bulbapedia](https://bit.ly/2F8fCwA) i’ve decided to just use our own dating system. mostly for ease and familiarity, but also because there’s mention of it being the same as our own (note the 1969 moon landing, which was referenced in Gen I games and their remakes). also take note that the dates are in day/month/year format

**02.18.2019**

The first time Chenle met Jisung the younger boy was an absolute wreck. He had been covered in snot, blubbering like a toddler, and futilely searching each and every floor of their apartment building for his lost Azurill.

Looking at him twelve years later, Chenle was overwhelmed by how much Jisung had changed. His height, his voice, his personality - six year old Chenle wouldn’t be able to recognize the weepy little boy in the young adult he had become. 

However, the one difference that stood out amongst all others, the most drastic of them all, was just how disgustingly in love Chenle was with him.

**06.18.2007**

“Are you okay?”

The boy looked up at the voice, his small fist curled up and futility wiping at his teary eyes. He took a second to look at Chenle curiously, taking in the way he was half hanging out of the door to the penthouse,“who are you?”

“Zhong Chenle! Are you okay, why are you crying?” The boy's voice was weird, lilting around vowels in a way Jisung wasn't used to. There was a faint memory of his aunt, his father’s sister who lived in Pewter City and worked at the museum, babbling to his mother that had Jisung realizing what was wrong with it. The stranger - _Chenle_ \- was from northern Kanto, the curling vowels obvious against the standard Kantonian accent Jisung was normally surrounded with.

“My name’s Jisung, and I can't find my Azurill,” Jisung finally answered, remembering why he was thirty floors above his own apartment as his lip trembled, “I opened the door and he just _ran_ and now I can't find him.”

Chenle gasped, eyes going comically wide in sympathy, “that's horrible!”

“I know, my mom is gonna be so _mad_.” Tears continued leaking down Jisung's cheeks, and he wiped at them ineffectively considering the tear tracks were back a minute later. His breath hitched when he breathed in, and Jisung tried his hardest not to break down completely. He was a big boy now, his father had said so, and that meant he couldn’t cry right now. He would cry later, after he had found Azurill and was able to lock himself in his room.

Then the lilting voice filtered into his ears again, the boy trying to comfort him with more cheer in his voice than was believable, “hey, how about I help you search for him? Growlithe is really good at finding the toys I lose!”

“Growlithe?” Jisung sniffled.

Chenle nodded eagerly, coming fully out into the hallway and pushing the door open wide. Almost immediately an orange and black blur darted through, a grumpy bark filling Jisung's ears.

“This is Growlithe!” Chenle introduced, patting the head of the puppy when it settled next to his feet, “my mom’s Arcanine had an egg, and I helped hatched it! I’m going to go on a journey with him when I’m older.”

Jisung wiped at his leaking nose with the back of his hand, sorrowful gaze lightening a bit at the sight of the pokemon. Stepping a bit closer and reaching out a hand Jisung waited until Growlithe licked at his palm before he started scratching behind his ears with a giggle. Then Jisung smiled up at him, and Chenle was mesmerized.

**06.16.2010**

One week into their summer vacation, Chenle and Jisung are trying their best not to run through a crowded airport. Nine years old and excited, the duo are trying their best to stick by Jisung’s parents but there’s just so much to _see_. It’s not the first time either of them has flown, but it _is_ the first time Chenle isn’t traveling with any members of his family.

It’s three years into his friendship with Park Jisung - the anniversary of which was in two days, he had been sure to remember. Every summer he had known him though, Jisung had had to leave for over a month in order to visit his grandparents. Sunyshore City was all the way in the Sinnoh Region, far away from Kanto, and multiple time zones ahead. It had Jisung calling him at odd hours, either too early or too late for Chenle, but he had always tried his best to answer when he could. It had gotten them both in trouble numerous times, but there was no helping it. They were each other’s best friends, and they missed one another when Jisung was away from home.

It was usually during this time that Chenle was packed up on the family helicopter and carted off to Rota to visit his own grandparents in the ancestral Zhong manor, so it wasn’t like he was stuck at home alone. There was no other children his age around though, and he only had Growlithe has his companion. He’d much rather spend his time talking to Jisung, snatching up his older brother’s Xtransciever and video calling his friend. Jisung did his own bit of stealing, sneaking away with his mother’s older generation device and smiling at Chenle over the patchy connection.

It was how they shared their summers with each other, video chatting at odd hours and showing off the sights surrounding them. Rota was an old city, the architecture grand and majestic in the way old Kantonian buildings always were. Chenle had lived there for a time before he met Jisung. Back when he was smaller, less independent, and his busy parents thought he was better left in his grandparent’s care.

Now that he was a bit older with a pokemon of his own he was able to venture out in the city instead of being cooped up in the manor. He shared his discoveries of the city with Jisung, just as the younger shared his own time in Sunyshore.

The distant city was so much different than Rota. Coastal, with wide beaches and solar panel bridges making the multi-tiered city so much more ecologically friendly than Rota’s traditional aspects. The city ran on wind turbines, as most of the Kanto region did, and it was nowhere near as beautiful as the shimmering ocean Jisung would always spend his afternoons walking around.

Their constant conversations is what led to this point: Chenle joining Jisung on his way to Sunyshore City, their parents thoroughly exasperated with both of them but still endeared. There were already plans for Jisung to join Chenle in Rota the next year, and both of the boys were ecstatic to be showing off the cities they had only seen through video chats.

For now, they had several hours of flight ahead of them, Growlithe and Azurill already carefully placed away in their pokeballs and their luggage carefully packed.

It would be a great summer, they were sure of it.

**06.17.2010**

Flying to another region was something Chenle had prepared for, but the jetlag was not.

He was exhausted when he landed. He had been too energized to join Jisung in napping on the airplane like the younger had advised him to do, and he regretted it as soon as they were touching down.

Jisung’s grandparents greeted them at the gate, surprised but endeared by how quiet Chenle’s greeting was. He had talked to them over the phone, Jisung nervously introducing them to his best friend years ago, and they knew how energetic he could be. To see him yawning and stumbling over his own feet, fighting against his closing eyelids, was probably an amusing sight, truth be told.

Chenle barely acknowledged it, to be honest. He bowed and greeted them cordially, as had been ingrained in his system since he was old enough to walk, but anything past that was a hazy blur. A quick dinner was picked up on the way to their house, Jisung leading the conversation for once as Chenle rested his head on his shoulder and sleepily chowed down on his order of fries.

Then they were pulling up into a modern two-story house, solar panels barely visible on the arched roof and wide windows looking out over the east. The ocean was visible even with the moon floating high above them, majestic and wide and awe-inspiring. Chenle barely batted an eye at it, stumbling after Jisung to the room he always stayed in during the summers and collapsing on the bed.

When he next opened his eyes, he was actually able to take it in fully take everything in. From the first moment he woke up he was exposed to how beautiful Sunyshore City was, actually. Jisung’s bedroom had east-facing floor to ceiling windows, allowing the morning sun to creep in through the curtains. The ocean was just as visible, shining bright and blue in the early light as waves crashed against the shore.

Chenle was quick to scramble up from the mattress, leaving Jisung grumbling and pulling the comforter over his messy bedhead. The elder barely even spared him a glance, too busy shoving aside the window covering to gape at the ocean. It was one of the prettiest sights he had ever seen, the width of blue stretching out in the distance with the city and its solar panel boardwalks at its shore.

Getting Growlithe out of his pokeball, the puppy let out a tired whine at the early hour, before seeming to realize where he was. In the next few minutes both of them were sat on the floor in front of the window, wide eyes staring out at the ocean as the sun climbed higher and higher in the sky.

They probably spent an hour just staring out at the city, if Chenle had to hazard a guess. That was when Jisung’s grandmother opened the door behind them, and they both turned to look at her curiously. The older woman was surprised to find them both awake, blinking rapidly in surprise before shooting a look to where Jisung was still cocooned in the blankets. Letting out a quiet laugh, the woman motioned towards her grandson, “good morning, Chenle. Wake him up, will you? Breakfast is ready.”

The boy nodded, pushing himself to his feet as she left the door opened and disappeared back down the stairs. Chenle barely wasted a moment before jumping onto the mattress, boney knees and elbows harshly bringing Jisung back to the land of consciousness.

“ _Why_?” Jisung whined, fighting to keep a hold on his blankets when Chenle went to rip them off, his blue hair looking like a Rattata’s nest.

“Your grandmother said to get up! Food, Jisungie, and then the beach! C’mon, c’mon, I’ve been up _forever_. I wanna go see it!”

Five minutes later the both of them were downstairs, Chenle feeling mildly grungy in the clothes he had worn to the airport. He was telling Jisung about how he might shower before they did anything else as they joined Jisung’s parents and grandparents at the table, gasping in delight when he saw the spread of food that was laid out.

Both the boys were quick to fill up their plates, stomachs grumbling hungrily considering they had only hadn’t eaten much between getting on the plane and arriving at the house the night before. It was only when their stomachs were uncomfortably full did they sit back, Chenle smacking at Jisung’s arm when the younger let out an unseemly blech.

The older members at the table laughed at their antics, before Jisung’s grandfather nodded to where Growlithe was sitting at Chenle’s side, pleading eyes asking for any scraps his trainer could sneak him, “watch out for him when you get to the water, alright? The ocean’s not kind to fire types.”

Chenle nodded his head, swiping at his face with a napkin as he tried to get the syrup off his mouth, “I know, my teacher told us all about types this semester! I’m still shocked that Azurill is normal and fairy, though.”

Jisung seemed to jolt at the mention of his own pokemon, letting out a gasp as he remembered. He was quick to disappear up the stairs with a hasty excuse, returning only a minute later with Azurill chirping in his arms. The rest of them were laughing at his blushing cheeks, and Jisung pouted at them before sitting back down at the table. He plucked a few berries out of the bowl in the center to feed the hungry pokemon, aiming for more of the sweet ones since that was Azurill’s favorite.

“We’re gonna go to the beach after we take showers, if that’s okay?” Jisung asked, glancing up curiously.

His mother nodded before pointing to where Chenle’s borrowed Xtransciever was on his wrist, “just answer if we call, okay?”

Chenle had been told that he was to constantly keep it on his wrist while he was away, a concession he would easily follow. It was what had his parents finally agreeing with the trip abroad, and it only made sense that Jisung’s family would want the same thing before letting them run off on their own.

Nodding his head at Jisung’s mother, Chenle pushed himself up from his chair, pointing towards the second floor, “I will. I’m going to take a shower now, if that’s okay?”

Permission granted, Chenle disappeared up the stairs quickly. His shower was just as quick before he was pulling on some swim trunks and a loose shirt. It had been balmy when they left the airport the night before, and he knew it would be even hotter during the day.

An hour later found Chenle on the beach. He had had to wait for Jisung had taken his own shower before they were both slathered in sunscreen by his doting grandmother. Then they were finally released out into the city, taking their time walking to the shore as Jisung got distracted showing Chenle various stores and restaurants he had come to know over the previous summers.

Then they were walking along the beach, sand in their flip flops and their pokemon bouncing around them eagerly. Growlithe kept a wary distance from the surf, jumping back from the waves whenever he strayed too close. Azurill didn’t have the same inhibitions, chirping happily whenever the waves crashed into him and tried its best to sweep him away.

Jisung joined his pokemon, carrying his shoes in hand and letting the wet sand seep between his toes. The waves licked at his calves, sea spray sticking to his skin, and the younger let out a laugh when Azurill playfully splashed him with the water.

Chenle watched the two in amusement, walking as a buffer between the water and Growlithe. The puppy had started turning it into a game, leaping over the waves that crashed against the shore and prancing away before his paws could get wet. Chenle stuck right at the edge, letting the water run over his feet and watching his pokemon happily, laughing loudly at the yelp Growlithe let out whenever he was too slow in his dodging.

It was a great way to spend their morning, and Chenle hoped the rest of the summer would be just as amazing. With Jisung by his side, he had faith that it would be.

**06.10.2011**

Rota was one of the oldest cities in the Kanto region. It was full of stunning architecture from when Rota was larger and still an independent kingdom, history lining every inch of the cobbled streets. The accents were different there, Jisung came to realize. He remembered thinking Chenle sounded like a Northern Kantonian when they had first met, but he realized the actual difference within a few hours of exploring. It was in the way the citizen’s vowels were more clipped here, their way of speaking more lilting than Jisung was used to. There were vague similarities, considering they had all descended from the same origin, but overall it was as different as Johtonian accents were.

It was fascinating to listen to, but watching Chenle interact with the townspeople was even more so. He had never really lost the twinge of an accent in all his years in Saffron City. The summer visits back to Rota were one of the main reasons, Jisung knew. Chenle always returned with a thicker accent, a distinct cadance to his words, and it was always interesting to listen to. It was mesmerizing, and now Jisung got to experience it first hand.

Chenle was greeting an owner of one of the restaurants he had dragged Jisung to, words fast and hissing in a way that had Jisung struggling to decipher. There was something about Cameran Palace, he knew that much, but then Jisung was lost again and decided to turn his focus back to where Azurill and Growlithe were eating their food. The two pokemon were clearly happy, the bowls already almost empty despite having been placed down only a few moments beforehand.

Jisung smiled down at them, before becoming aware of eyes on him. Glancing up, he tried his best not to jolt when he saw both Chenle and the owner smiling at him. What followed was a friendly introduction and a plate of sweets free of charge being brought over by one of the waiters. They were delicious, as all the food Chenle had forced onto him since they got to Rota had been, and Jisung didn’t hold back on the compliments he gave the man when he returned to their table once the plate was empty.

“That was fun, right?” Chenle questioned when they left, “they’ve got my favorite pastries in the city.”

Jisung nodded his head, pausing for a second so he can scoop Azurill into his arms as Growlithe continued to trot between them, “yeah, it was really good. What were you two talking about before though? Something about the palace?”

“Oh right! There’s going to be a ball in a few weeks. It won’t be as big as the Hero Festival, but it’ll be pretty fun to attend right? We can get you a costume and everything.” Chenle looked at him in anticipation, practically vibrating in excitement.

Jisung gulped, mind flashing to the crowds that would know doubt fill the palace, “I mean- wait, do you hear that?”

There was a cacophony of growls that had gained his attention, originating from the alley they were passing by. Chenle and Jisung exchanged a look of contemplation, debating whether to investigate as Growlithe grumbled in disapproval between them. Then they heard what sounded like a pokemon crying out in pain, causing them to immediately sprint into the alley, Growlithe letting out a defeated whine behind them before rushing to catch up.

Both of the boys let out a gasp when they rounded the corner, Growlithe quickly placing himself between them and Azurill bouncing of Jisung’s arms to land beside him. There was a pack of Houndour cornering two pokemon into the dead end alley, surrounding them and pinning them against the brick wall.

“Hey!” Chenle yelled, instantly gaining their attention, “leave them alone!”

The Plusle and Minun they had trapped also snapped their attention their way, the two electric types clinging to one another with sparks dancing around them. The Houndour didn’t notice, turning their bared teeth towards the two boys and dismissing their former prey for the moment. It was a mistake on their parts, considering not even a second later the two were letting out a blast of electricity in a move Jisung vaguely remembered was called Spark. He hadn’t been able to witness many electric types outside of encountering a Pikachu or Pichu around town, which had Jisung flinching in surprise as the Houndour let out howls of shock.

Chenle wasn’t as affected, evident by the way he was quickly calling out an attack before the Houndour could gather their wits and turn their focus back to the trapped pokemon, “Growlithe, use Bite!”

His order had Jisung snapping out of it, glancing quickly down at where Azurill was giving him a confident look. Nodding in determination, Jisung pointed a hand towards the pack, “do your best to avoid Growlithe, alright? Water Gun!”

Azurill let out a chirp of understanding, bouncing forward with a spray of water that had the Houndour yelping, trying to dodge the deluge as well as Growlithe’s sharp fangs. It wasn’t much longer before they were fleeing, rushing around Chenle and Jisung’s ankles as they darted out of the alley with Growlithe on their heels.

“Come back boy! Let them go!” Chenle called, surprise on his face as he quickly rushed after his pokemon.

Jisung laughed, relief at the situation ending having his shoulders slump as Azurill happily bounced at his feet. Before he could move to follow after his friend there was a tug on his pant leg, making him jolt in place before looking down.

The Plusle and Minun had left the end of the alley, the Minun being the one to tug at his pants with a determined expression. Jisung hesitated for a second before crouching down, making himself more eye level with the pokemon, “uh, yes?”

The pokemon chirped at length, small arms moving about as Jisung stared uncomprehendingly. When they electric type realized he wasn’t understanding, it turned his attention towards Azurill and started chirping again. Soon the normal type was chirping back happily, bouncing once again on his tail before leaping into Jisung’s arms. It had the boy falling back onto the cobblestone of the alley, grimacing as his pants came in contact with the dirty bricks, “Whoa, Azurill! What’s up?”

Azurill chirped at him a few times, tail swishing happily, and it was then that Jisung finally understood, glancing up at Minun and Plusle in shock, “you want to come with me?”

Minun nodded its head, crossing its little arms over its chest as its ears perked up. Plusle did the opposite though, shaking its head before pointing significantly towards where Chenle was returning, Growlithe trotting at his heels with his tongue happily lolling out.

Jisung understood it after a second, nodding with a smile as Chenle let out a sound of confusion, “Jisung? Why are you on the ground?”

“Plusle wants to be your pokemon,” Jisung told him instead of answering, snickering at the way Chenle’s mouth dropped open in surprise.

“ _What?_ How much did I miss? It’s been like two minutes!”

Pushing himself to his feet with one arm, Jisung quickly tried to brush the dirt off of his pants with one hand while the other cradled Azurill close to his chest, “better catch up quick, then. Do you think your brother will let us borrow some pokeballs?”

“I mean, yeah, probably. But Jisung-!”

**01.23.2013**

When Chenle joined secondary school in the building across the street from his primary school, it only took him a few weeks after the start of the first semester to realize a few things. Admittedly the first, and most distressing, fact he had learned was on his first day of class. Recess becoming nonexistent still made his heart pang, especially since the only time he had outside was now during his battle classes. He couldn’t even bring out Growlithe to battle with, because only school provided pokemon were eligible for use. Keeping an even playing field for them all was apparently a high priority despite the fact that they wouldn’t have that cushion when they engaged in actual pokemon battles.

The second fact that he learned was that puberty was a bitch (and that cursing was _fun_ ).

Sure, he sounded less like a Mightyena when he laughed, but everyone was starting to _smell_ and hair was starting to grow in odd places. The fact that everyone was discovering the delights of hormones at the same time as him was even worse. If he ever walked into the storage attached to his music classroom and discovered a classmate on their knees and gagging ever again, he would finally take his mother up on transferring out of the public trainer’s school permanently.

Maybe it was just because he was one of the youngest students in his year, but he never really saw the appeal in sucking faces behind the cafeteria (or in literally any space they could find). Sure, holding someone’s hand would probably be nice, but he could just whine at Jisung until he finally relented and laced their fingers together. He didn’t need to embarrass himself by asking someone to the spring dance only to end up rejected and alone. He didn’t even want to go, considering he couldn’t bring Jisung with him.

He learned, as time passed, that his reasons for not needing a crush were the biggest red flags he could’ve taken note of. Unfortunately, he was a dumb preteen who still thought crushes were dumb. Besides, it wasn’t like any of his peers were that eye-catching. The opposite, actually, considering the body odor and pimpled faces that were becoming the norm had him cringing away. He complained about it to Jisung once, about how all the girls were either jealous or fawning over his clear skin compared to the rest of the boys in his class. It was both due to genetics and the skin care routine his mother had ingrained within him.

His complaints had Jisung scrunching his face up in disgust, which always had Chenle’s stomach clenching fondly as he resisted pinching the younger’s squishy cheeks. Really, none of his classmates could even hold a candle to how cute Jisung was, so why would he even consider crushing on them?

That’s when the realization hit, and Chenle knew he was screwed.

**8.19.2013**

Jisung spent the entirety of his last year in primary school wishing he had been born three months earlier, or even for his best friend to have been born eight days late. The cut off for the school year, December first, was the bane of his existence. He missed Chenle, because despite their classes having never been the same they had at least had lunch and recess together. With Chenle enrolled in secondary school that was no longer an option, and they had to restrict their time together to after school or on weekends.

It was disheartening, and the fact that Jisung didn’t have that many friends in his year didn’t make it any better. He was passingly friendly with his classmates, but the only ones he could really put under the category of ‘friends’ were the three people he had been assigned to sit with throughout the year. It had taken months of being paired together for partner work or mock tag team battles for them to get to that level, but Jisung was shy and he couldn’t help it. Now that they had entered the fall semester though, Jisung could confidently say they were friends at this point.

“Hey Jisung, you coming?” Kai called, half out the door to the classroom with his Salandit wrapped around his shoulders. It was still odd to see the Alolan pokemon, even though Jisung had known the boy for two years now. Kai had moved to Kanto with his mother after his parents divorced, leaving behind his home on Akala Island. He still visited every summer though, and always came back with wild stories about what he and his sister’s had gotten up to on the island.

Jisung hurriedly put his notebook into his desk, clearing off the table top as Azurill bounced onto his lap. Quickly catching him before he could tumble off onto the floor, Jisung pushed himself onto his feet. He wouldn’t be able to bring Minun with him to classes until he was in secondary school like Chenle, thanks to restrictions on his trainer license, so he usually left the electric type in his mom’s care during the day. Moving to reach Kai’s side, Jisung was unable to move too far before there was an arm swinging around his neck, pulling him down roughly and smushing him into someone’s side.

Letting out a groan, Jisung instantly tried escaping, but Taehyun - who had refused to leave him alone after learning that they shared a birthday - was insistent as he ruffled Jisung’s blue hair with his free hand, “hurry up, Jisung. All the food’s going to be gone if you keep moving like a Slowpoke.”

His Chatot trilled from her perch on Taehyun’s shoulder, wings spread and flapping as she fought to maintain balance on her trainer’s shoulder. She was repeating his words a second later, mockingly calling Jisung a Slowpoke repeatedly.

“Chatot, _please_ ,” Yeojin interrupted, peaking over Kai’s shoulder with an exasperated frown. Her Poliwag’s tail slapped loudly at the linoleum floor in agreement, wobbling on his little feet as it upset his balance.

Finally releasing Jisung when they caught up to the other two, Taehyun stuck his tongue out at the younger girl, “don’t tell Chatot what to do.”

“Don’t tell Chatot what to do,” Chatot echoed, bobbing her head eagerly.

Stepping around the pair as they started squabbling, Jisung accompanied Kai down the hallways, dodging fellow students as they all headed to the cafeteria. The brunet nudged him, rolling his eyes and shooting a smirk his way when Jisung turned to look at him. Jisung snickered in response, his laughter only increasing when he heard Taehyun and Yeojin yelling at them to slow down.

It only took them a few minutes to reach the cafeteria, grabbing their food and then relocating to their favorite spot under one of the big oak trees in the center courtyard. Other students and teachers were also out and about, either eating their lunches or spending their time playing with their pokemon instead. Jisung leaned his back against the trunk of the tree with his own lunch, watching Azurill rolling about a few feet away with Yeojin’s Poliwag. It wouldn’t be long until the pokemon came over to eat their own food, but Jisung would happily watch this play after being cooped up in a classroom all day while he could.

Taehyun settled heavily next to him, complaining about the heat of the waning summer, “why can’t we just eat in the cafeteria? I’m already sweating.”

“It’s not even hot, though?” Kai muttered, sitting directly in the sunshine as Salandit tried snatching a bit of his lunch. He pushed him away easily, quietly scolding him about manners before handing over a couple berries a second later.

“Ignore him, Kai. It’s his northern blood,” Yeojin snorted, dropping down beside the Alolan. Taehyun made a noise of offense, but didn’t otherwise argue. He was a first generation Kantonian, his parents having moved to the region from Snowpoint City, Sinnoh. He was as northern as a northerner could get, and he always bragged about it when winter set in and he was walking around in shorts.

Yeojin and Jisung were the middle ground between the two, both of them having been born and raised in Saffron City. Being in the middle of the region as it was, they had the best of both worlds, depending on who you asked, with scorching summers and snowy winters.

Before Jisung could join in on the good natured teasing, his Xtransciever lit up, a message on display. It had been a birthday gift from Chenle, the device a sleek black and blue to contrast against the white and purple one the older boy always had around his wrist. Jisung had tried to return it, knowing how expensive the new devices were - they had only recently made their way to the Kanto Region, after all - but Chenle had steadfastly refused. Jisung had only relented after Chenle said he could pay him back by answering whenever he contacted him no matter what.

That promise came into play now, because Chenle was spamming him with messages about how he wanted to visit the noodle shop after school, just as he always did. Snorting in amusement at the steadily growing number of messages, Jisung quickly typed back an affirmative response. Then he told him to actually focus on his classes, because he was a little shit like that.

“Is it your boyfriend again?” Kai questioned, drawing a ceasefire to Taehyun and Yeojin’s bickering.

Jisung immediately spluttered, dropping his arm down, “he’s not my boyfriend!”

All three of them looked at him in disbelief, causing Jisung’s cheeks to flush hotly. Looking down at his lunch nervously, he poked at his roasted pecha berries before handing one over to Azurill when he bounded over, “he’s not.”

“Do you _want_ him to be?” Yeojin asked curiously.

At that, Jisung had no answer.

**01.02.2014**

Secondary school wasn’t at all what Jisung expected it to be, even with Chenle complaining about it every day the year before. He still had the same classmates, though a few had moved to different schools based on the focus of their future. Kai, Taehyun and Yeojin stayed though, and Jisung had even managed to land in the same class as them yet again. So really, for all intents and purposes it still felt like he was in primary school, only with a lack of recess and an excess of hormones.

He _did_ get to eat lunch with Chenle again though, and that was one of the biggest perks. The eighth grader had made it a point to drag him to a lunch table as soon as they had gotten their food, introducing him to friend’s from his own classes.

Jeongin was almost as loud as Chenle when he laughed, and he had an adorably shy Vulpix that liked to sleep within the confines of his jacket. Jeongin only mildly protested considering how hot it was outside, but considering most of the secondary school was inside with air conditioning, he couldn’t help spoiling the fire type.

Beomgyu was quieter than Jeongin and Chenle, and he had a Butterfree that liked to perch on his head and leave his shoulders dusted with powder from her wings. It was one of the funniest things Jisung had seen in awhile, and he smiled as the older boy grumbled up at his cheerful pokemon.

Olivia was the one who gave him the most fright, mostly due to how quickly her and Yeojin became friends. Plus she had a scrappy little Poochyena that Growlithe loved to tussle with, the two rolling under the cafeteria table and yipping at each other. The fact that she was also friends with Ryujin, who he had gained a healthy dose of both fear and respect of after all of Chenle’s stories, only cemented the deal.

The most surprising part of integrating their friends groups, other than how easily they all clicked with one another, probably was the fact that only Chenle and Jisung had more than one pokemon. Jisung knew he was the only one in his class with a second pokemon so far, but considering the other’s were now ninth graders Jisung couldn’t help his surprise.

“Not everyone can fend off a pack of Houndour in a distant city, Jisung,” Kai told him, his Salandit’s hissing laughter following his words.

Jisung shot him a blank look, “you literally go to Alola every summer?”

“You do? Why?” Olivia questioned, pulling her feet up into her chair as Poochyena skid across the tile. The dark type was back on his feet barely a second later, tongue lolling as he pounced at Growlithe yet again.

As his friend started explaining his home region, Jisung became aware of Chenle’s eyes on the side of his face, turning to look at him curiously. The older boy was smiling at him, expression so bright that Jisung questioned whether he should shield his eyes or not. Then he was leaning forward, his lips almost brushing against Jisung’s ear, “see? I told you my friends would like yours.”

Jisung blushed, pulling away and turning his attention to where Minun was pulling a pecha berry off of his lunch tray, “shut up.”

Chenle just laughed at him, reaching over to playfully pinch at his cheeks until Jisung was whining and slapping away his hands.

**12.12.2014**

Chenle met up with Jisung on the last day before winter vacation, staring at him on the other side of the crosswalk with a small smile as they wait for the light to change. Once they were together they continued down the sidewalk, Azurill held easily in Jisung’s arms and chirping along with their easy conversations. Growlithe was trotting easily in between them, tongue lolling out and ears perked as he looked at any passing cars or pedestrians.

“Do we really have to get noodles _again_?” Jisung was whining, “they’re not even as good as what you make.”

Chenle tried not to preen to noticeably as he shoved at Jisung’s shoulder, “shut up. We’re going.”

“You just want to see your crush,” Jisung muttered petulantly, drawing Chenle up short.

Furrowing his eyebrows, the shorter of the two shot him a mystified look, “what crush?”

Jisung looked at him like he was an idiot, “uh, Ryujin?”

“ _What_?”

Immediately Chenle thought back to his classmate, the one his teacher assigned as his partner for a class project. He had only known Ryujin in passing before, acknowledging her as one of his classmates as well as the daughter of the owner of the noodle shop he loved so much. After being assigned as partners they had been meeting up every other day for the past two weeks to work on it, leaving Chenle to miss a few afternoons he would’ve otherwise spent with Jisung. Maybe that’s what led the other to his assumption, but it was a rather weak reasoning.

Jisung blushed, shrugging his shoulders as he seemed to shrink in on himself, Azurill chirping up at him in concern, “I don’t know, Yeojin said she likes you.”

The last time the older girl had talked to him it was just to tell him that she would gladly punch him in the face for missing their last project meeting. The fact that her monster of a Dratini was wrapped around her boots and staring at him intently as she said it just added to the seriousness of the moment. Honestly, Chenle was kind of afraid of her.

“Plus you’ve been spending a lot of time together because of your project so…”

Chenle scoffed, shaking his head, “she has a weird way of showing it if she does like me, but I’m honestly not interested.”

“Oh? Why not?” Jisung turned to look at him, eyes curious and his lips pursed in a pout. Chenle was distracted for a moment before he was stumbling over the sidewalk, letting out a yelp as he shot out a hand to grab at Jisung’s arm in an attempt to stay standing. Growlithe barked up at him in alarm and he grinned sheepishly, shaking his head to abate his worry before looking back up at where Jisung was laughing at him.

Forcing himself not to get caught up in staring again, Chenle steadfastly looked away, running his fingers through his lavender hair as he tried his best to remain casual, “I don’t think I like girls at all.”

 _But I like you,_ he didn’t add.

Jisung looked at him in confusion for a few moments, still steadily walking beside him as the noodle shop drifted into their sight. Then he was frozen on the sidewalk, eyes impossibly wide as realization finally clicked, “oh!”

Chenle turned to look at him nervously, chewing at his lip as he waited for the younger to continue. Jisung looked back for a moment, head tilted in consideration, before he nodded in determination, “well, that’s alright then. I’ll tell Yeojin to stop spreading rumors.”

Chenle gaped as Jisung continued walking, mind scrambling at the easy acceptance. He shouldn’t be so surprised, he knew he shouldn’t, they had been best friends since he was six years old. Of course Jisung would accept him no matter what.

Still, it was nice.

The blossoming hope in his chest was a little worrying, but he wouldn’t focus on that right now. He was only twelve, he shouldn’t get his hopes up. There was still plenty of time for them to figure stuff out.

Besides, Jisung was already yelling at him to hurry up, saying something about the noodles not eating themselves. Breaking out of his trance, Chenle darted forward in a quick jog, Growlithe happily yapping at his heels as he raced to catch up.

**04.03.2017**

Jisung didn’t expect it when Azurill evolved.

His entire class had been looking forward to the cherry blossom festival now that they were juniors, each of them clamoring for the yearly tournament that would be held between themselves and the graduating class. It was one of the few times they could use their own pokemon to battle as well, even if the school’s pokemon were still there for anyone that needed them.

It was a single style elimination tournament, with each participant only allowed to use a single pokemon. It was an event that lasted from early in the morning to well into the afternoon, mostly due to the size of their school’s classes. Still, there was always time to go out and enjoy the festival that spread out over Saffron City’s streets, each of them free to wander off so long as they didn’t have an upcoming battle.

Jisung had actually been hoping he would be knocked out during the beginning rounds of the tournament so that he would have more free time to explore the festival. Then Chenle had steamrolled over those plans, a worryingly dangerous glint in his eyes when he dropped his lunch tray onto their normal table the day before the festival and slipped into a seat beside Jeongin.

Considering he was the last one to join them, he was quick to gather everyone’s attention, both Jisung and the rest of their friends looking up at him curiously. Then Chenle smiled and it was just as alarming as the look in his eyes, before he was opening his mouth, “I propose a bet.”

“A bet?” Olivia repeated, hugging her Poochyena close to her chest as she glanced up at him.

“It’s our last year,” Chenle explained, motioning towards his three friends and classmates and determinedly avoiding eye contact with Jisung, “and I think we should leave an impression for people to remember us by.”

That’s when Chenle decided to meet Jisung’s stare head on, his gaze an unspoken challenge. _Try to beat me,_ it said, _don’t ever forget me._

Jisung didn’t know how to put it into words that he had spent his entire life thinking about Chenle, and he had no plans on stopping any time soon.

“Oh you’re so on,” Yeojin fired back, her Poliwag’s tail excitedly thumping the ground next to her feet. “Me and Poliwag are going to blow you out of the water.”

Olivia scoffed, the glimmer of a challenge starting to shine in her eyes. “You’d have to catch us first. Isn’t that right, Poochyena?”

The dark type looked up at her from where he still sat in her arms, letting out a happy bark and licking quickly at her chin. Jisung watched in amusement as she flinched away, loosening her arms just enough that Poochyena was able to dart forward and snatch an oran berry off of her lunch tray. Then he was jumping out of her arms despite her yelp of protest, darting off with his prize.

Yeojin watched the entire scene with a snicker, her eyes gleaming. “I feel so threatened.”

“I don’t know, I think we could take you,” Beomgyu interjected, lifting a small slice of pecha berry so that his Butterfree, balanced on his head in her usual perch, could eat it out of his hands. Jisung traded an exasperated look with Taehyun and Kai, both of the boys having watched the exchange in silence in favor of eating their lunches, and earned a matching set of expressions in return.

Before Yeojin could say anything on the contrary, always ready to prove her and Poliwag’s skill, Chenle interrupted with a wide grin, “which is exactly what my bet’s about. I think the four of us,” here he paused to wave at the three of them plus Jeongin, who was half asleep at the end of the table with his Vulpix curled on his lap, “could get farther in the tournament then the four of you.”

Jisung frowned, glancing into his friends challenging eyes, before glancing over at Yeojin, Kai and Taehyun. After a few short seconds of getting confident looks in return, Jisung straightened in his seat and smiled back at Chenle. “What do we get when we win?”

Chenle’s eyes _gleamed._

And the next day, when Jisung was on one side of the field and Chenle on the other, both of them somehow facing off in the tournament’s finals, Chenle looked at him with just as much intensity, just as much determination. So Jisung matched him, as best as he could, as much as he was able. Azurill versus Growlithe, friends for as long as their trainer’s had been.

Jisung was losing, Azurill was feeling the impact of numerous battles beforehand, and both of them knew that not even a type advantage could help them at that moment. Growlithe was simply the stronger pokemon between the two.

But then Azurill was gone, white light blinding, and Marill was in his place and Chenle looked just as shocked as Jisung felt. Growlithe didn’t hesitate though, because he had always been determined and steadfast in front of his trainer, and Jisung steeled himself, blocking away the emotions trying to rise to the surface, and called out to his trusted partner.

They won.

It was the difference of seconds that determined a winner. The buckle of Growlithe’s legs hitting just before Marill wobbled off of his feet. But they won.

Jisung didn’t care much, not even when he accepted the winner’s ribbon or the certificate from their principal. Jisung’s thoughts were centered on Marill, on how quickly he could get him to the nurse they school hired for the tournament, and most importantly…

Jisung looked up as the principal continued the speech he always did at the end of the tournaments, his eyes quickly meeting Chenle’s in the crowd. The older boy looked solemn, his thoughts hidden from those around him, but as soon as he saw Jisung looking in his direction it was like the sun breaking out from behind the clouds, his eyes brightening and a small smile tugging at his lips.

‘You won’, Chenle mouthed his way.

Jisung rose an eyebrow, smirking faintly, ‘dinner?’

And Chenle snorted, throwing his head back in laughter that was lost as the crowd around him clapped during the end of the principal’s speech. Because that was what the bet came down to, nothing too serious or embarrassing. Just a dip into each other’s wallets and a nice meal to share between friends.

**12.16.2017**

Jisung had been dreading this day ever since the beginning of the school year. His friends knew it, Chenle knew it, _Chenle’s_ friends knew it. All of them knew just how attached Jisung was to the older boy, and none of them were looking forward to the day they would be separated. Or, well, that was sort of a lie. Chenle and his classmates were certainly looking forward to being full licensed trainers, but there was still the uncertainty of what would happen _after._

They still had a two month gap, at least. The new circuit for the League competition wouldn’t begin until after February twenty-first, corresponding with the end of the current circuit.

That left Jisung two months with Chenle, two months to prepare himself for an entire year without him.

But then Chenle was pulling him aside, already dressed in his graduation robes and his cap sitting crooked on top of his lavender hair. Jisung didn’t even hesitate before reaching up to straighten it, his fingers light even with Chenle looking up at him in surprise. Jisung tried his best to not let his nervousness, his _dread_ , for the coming event to show on his face.

Chenle still sighed, his eyes darting to the ground as he reached up to tap a fist against Jisung’s chest, “don’t look so sad, Jisungie. I’m just graduating.”

“And in February you’ll be gone,” Jisung pointed out, his eyebrows furrowing at the thought.

“Not if you’re still here,” Chenle returned, drawing Jisung up short.

Chenle was serious though, his eyes darting up to meet Jisung’s gaping expression without a smidge of humor, “I won’t go on a journey if you’re not by my side.”

“Chenle, you-” Jisung began, but his mind was blank, too lost in shock.

“I already talked to my brother,” Chenle began, when the silence between them extended for too long, “and he said I could intern in some of our locations here in Saffron City for a year, just to get an idea of our company. I don’t have the qualifications for it, not when I went to a trainer’s school instead of a business one like him, but I’ll learn what I need to through the internship. Then, when we’re older and we’re too lazy to travel around the world, we can come back. I’ll go back to school, learn what I need for the company, and we’ll still be together. Right?”

There was desperation in Chenle’s voice, his eyes shining nervously as he spoke faster and faster. Jisung had known that Chenle’s family owned it’s own business, knew that they were _big,_ and had the money to back them up. He had known since the first time he visited the Zhong’s ancestral manor in Rota. He knew that Chenle’s brother, the CEO of the company, had the connections that Chenle spoke about. He had known what Chenle probably had in store for himself in his future.

He had just never expected that he would be part of it.

“Jisung?” Chenle questioned, his voice dropping into a whisper, his eyes darting across Jisung’s face in an effort to decipher what he was thinking.

Jisung let out a cough, raising his hand up to cover his face, both to be polite but also to hide the tears brimming at his eyes. Then he was smiling, looking down at Chenle even as his heart squeezed worryingly, “that sounds great, Lele. That- yeah. Yeah, let’s do that.”

Chenle’s responding smile was one of the brightest things Jisung had ever seen.

**07.13.2018**

“Alright class,” Jisung’s teacher began the Friday after their return from summer break, a smile twitching at her lips, “it’s finally time for your senior project.”

On cue, the classroom was full of groans, each of them already knowing which project she was talking about. They had all listened as the seniors before them complained about this project, even those that didn’t have many friends in the year above. Considering who Jisung’s best friend was, he had heard more than enough about this project, even if Chenle had been more enthused than annoyed with his chosen assignment.

“Yes, yes, I know the older students have probably told you all about it,” Jisung’s teacher said, drawing him out of his memories with an amused laugh as she waved away their complaints, “there _is_ a reason we always assign this project though, and it’s to make sure that you all have the skills to analyze another trainer. Be it to determine their personalities, their battle styles, or how they will react to any surprises they face, that’s all up to you to figure out and write an essay about. Sure, you won’t have as many materials to determine all of that when you’re faced with someone on the other side of a league field, but this is a fundamental step into being able to make deductions like that even in the heat of battle.”

She paused for a second to allow them to digest all that she had just said before smiling mischievously, “so, you’ll all be assigned a contestant from this year's league competitions to research, and it’ll be up to you to learn all about them. How they managed to get into the league, how they got as far as they did, and what was the deciding factor on their losses or success.”

“Ooh, I hope I get Jeno. Or Jaemin, to be honest.” Yeojin murmured, leaning into Jisung’s space as she pitched her voice low.

Jisung furrowed his eyebrows in concentration for a moment, straining to remember who she was talking about. It took a few moments, but then he remembered Yeojin talking about Johto’s Silver Conference and the final match between the two rivals. Or were they boyfriends? Jisung wasn’t exactly sure, but he remembered that their battle had been intense, neither of their team’s backing down until they were both left with a single pokemon each.

There had been a story there too, Jisung knew. Johto’s news channels had been clamoring for the story between the two boys, but Jeno had been good at alluding the cameras. Jaemin had been more forthright whenever he had been cornered for an interview, but he had been rather tight lipped whenever it came to the other boy.

At least from what Jisung knew from Yeojin’s rants, anyway. He hadn’t been that interested at the time, and if he was completely honest, he still wasn’t.

Though that was about to change, considering the fact that his teacher had assigned Na Jaemin as his assigned trainer.

“You lucky _bitch_ ,” Yeojin seethed immediately.

“You got Ten, at least.” Kai muttered half-heartedly, glancing over his shoulder from the row ahead of them.

That had Yeojin perking up immediately, and even Jisung glanced over to her name on the projector. He had been a lot more interested in Ten, considering the older boy had had a coordinator’s flare to his battle style in the few matches Jisung had watched. He had apparently spent time in the Ecruteak Dance Theater as a kid, and now that he was a trainer he split his time between contests and the League. Jisung was honestly just impressed that he managed to do so much at once without neglecting either himself or his team. His Roserade and Tsareena certainly cemented that fact, anyway.

“Still though, _Na Jaemin_. Jisung probably won’t even appreciate him that much.” Yeojin grumbled half-heartedly.

Jisung rolled his eyes, pushing his friend out of his personal space as she leaned even closer accusingly, “it’s just as much my senior project as it is yours. I’ll do as much as it takes to get a good grade, don’t worry.”

**07.14.2018**

“Oh, yeah, my project was really fun. Yuta was cool, even if he was a bit weird.” Chenle said, tilting his head back as he remembered his own assigned trainer. Jisung had been with him throughout most of his research, joining him in the library as he tracked down battle records that the Unova League uploaded after each successful gym battle.

Jisung was just happy, for his own sake, that only the gyms themselves kept recordings of the gym battles that resulted in the challenger’s loss.

“Who did you get, anyway?” Chenle asked curiously, finally turning away from the report he had been in the middle of typing. Even for being an intern at Zhong Corp. he had reports to do, and the older boy frequently complained about the fact that there was barely a difference from being back in school.

He never mentioned going off to explore Kanto though, not unless it was with Jisung at his side in a year’s time.

“Na Jaemin, from the Silver Conference?” Jisung answered, tilting his head up off of Chenle’s pillows. They had been lounging in his bedroom while Chenle finished up his assignment, and then were going to head off to the noodle shop. Ryujin wouldn’t be there, having went off on her journey as soon as she could. None of Chenle’s classmates were left in town, actually. Sometimes one or two would pop back into Saffron to visit their families, but it was only for a day or two at most before they were back off to explore their home region.

“Oh, him! Wow, you really lucked out Jisungie. Did anyone in your class get Jeno?” Chenle questioned curiously, spinning around in his desk chair so that he could look him in the eye.

Jisung shook his head before letting it fall back against the pillows, “no, Yeojin checked. Some girl from the class next to ours got him.”

“Aw, that sucks. You could’ve collaborated on your research.”

Jisung grunted his acknowledgment, before turning onto his side and burying his face into the pillows. It smelled like Chenle’s shampoo, and Jisung tried his best not to inhale too noticeably, “I guess. Are you almost done?”

“Yeah, yeah. Just a few more paragraphs,” Chenle huffed, pushing his chair back towards his desk and letting silence fall between them.

**12.16.2018**

Jisung had an idea of what graduating would be like. He had been there the entire time that Chenle’s had occurred, watching beside his parents along with Chenle’s brother, his parents and a large group of his extended family. The Zhong family had shown up en masse for the event, each of them in fancy formal wear that would have made Jisung feel like an outsider if he didn’t have Chenle’s promise close to his heart. The way all of the Zhong’s greeted him cheerfully also helped, Chenle’s entire family long used to the presence of his best friend.

Still, it had been a nervous and long affair, only highlighted by their own cheering when Chenle stepped across the stage after an extended wait as his classmates were called before him. It was one of those times that Jisung resented his friend’s last name, even if they would have had to sit through the entire even regardless.

It was still better than being the graduate yourself, Jisung came to learn. At least when he was up in the stands with their families he had been able to subtly tap away on his Xtransceiver. He didn’t have that luxury now though, not when his mother had made sure that the device had been stored away in her purse with the promise that he would get it back when they went out to dinner.

The reminder had him glancing away from the stage and turning his eyes towards the stands, searching for his mother’s blue hair that was the same shade of his own. It didn’t take long to locate her, a spot of blue among the dark hair of the rest of Jisung’s family. There was also the fact that Chenle was by her side, lavender hair pushed back off his forehead and wearing formal wear that cost more than Jisung was comfortable with. Jisung couldn’t exactly read his expression from this distance, but he smiled at the way Chenle waved, before noticing with a jolt of shock that Chenle’s parents and brother were next to him as well.

Jisung hadn’t expected _that,_ even if his mother had been sure to extend the invitation. It made something in Jisung’s chest warm though, and the smile on his face only grew wider at the knowledge that Chenle’s family saw value in attending his graduation.

It made the event pass quicker, Jisung being sure to clap for all his friends that crossed the stage even as he glanced frequently back towards the stands.

Then the event _was_ over, and Jisung had his diploma in hand and the assurance that the League would be informed that he was now a fully licensed trainer. His friends were quick to crowd around him after they had thrown their caps into the air, Taehyun’s smile just as bright as Kai’s eyes and Yeojins excited whooping. Jisung didn’t even protest as he was dragged into Taehyun’s side, his arm a strong presence around his neck.

“We did it!” Yeojin told them, bouncing in place as her eyes darted around at the people around them. Like Jisung, she had been pulled tight against Kai’s side and wasn’t even struggling against him.

“We did it,” Jisung repeated, somehow calm despite the glee erupting within his chest.

Before much else could be said though, Kai was glancing over Jisung’s shoulder and his happily shining eyes took on a rather mischievous glint, “oh, you’re boyfriend’s coming over.”

Jisung jolted, his spine straightening as he turned, barely even noticing as Taehyun let his arm slid off of his neck. Kai was right, Chenle had already managed to make his way out of the stands, and he was making quick work of crossing the space separating them, a determined look on his face.

Once he noticed Jisung was looking back at him though, Chenle let a bright smile take over his expression, crossing the last bit of space before throwing himself into Jisung’s arms. Jisung let out a grunt of effort, but lucky enough Chenle hadn’t managed to knock them to the ground.

“Jisungie!” Chenle yelled, right into Jisung’s ear which, _ow_. “You did it!”

“We all did it,” Taehyun interjected from Jisung’s left, watching both of them in amusement. It was a look he shared with Kai and Yeojin, and Jisung tried his best to ignore them as he tightened his grip around Chenle’s waist.

Chenle seemed just as reluctant to let go, simply turning his head from where it had been buried in Jisung’s neck to glare at Jisung’s friends, “shut up, Taehyun. You know I’m happy for you too.”

“But Jisung’s more important, we know,” Yeojin agreed, smirking in response to the glare Jisung shot her way.

Chenle rolled his eyes, though it did have the misfortune of finally making him pull away. “Yeah, yeah. Seriously though, congrats to all of you.”

“Thanks,” Kai said, laughter in his voice before his eyes caught on something to the side. His eyes widened in surprise, voice dropping into a whisper. “Dad?”

Jisung jerked his attention away from Chenle at that, following Kai’s gaze and blinking in surprise at the sight of Kai’s mother, who he had only seen a few times over the years, walking closer with a taller man and two girls. Kai’s sisters, judging by the way they looked similar to the adults flanking them on opposite sides.

“Oh,” Jisung murmured quietly, before exchanging a quick look with Taehyun and Yeojin. It was Yeojin who gently pushed Kai in his family’s direction, leaving the four of them to watch him break out in a run towards them.

Chenle let out a huff when Kai’s sisters screeched in protest when he launched himself at them, all three of them tumbling to the ground, “at least you didn’t fall when I did that.”

Jisung rolled his eyes, before glancing over Chenle’s head and catching sight of their own families approaching. Glancing over at Taehyun and Yeojin, Jisung smiled faintly, “I’ll talk to you guys later, alright?”

Taehyun waved him off with a laugh, already starting to look around for his own parents, “sure, maybe we’ll go get something to eat in a couple days?”

“Sounds good,” Jisung agreed, before nodding Yeojin’s way and starting to tug Chenle towards their family’s with the arm he still had around the elder’s waist.

It had been a long day after all, and Jisung was ready to catch a quick dinner before heading to bed.

**02.18.2019**

Deciding to confess to the love of his life three days before they leave on a shared journey around the Kanto region probably wasn’t one of Chenle’s best plans.

He wanted to, though. He had already had this crush for six years now, and this was probably his best chance to finally get it off his chest. Their entire life would be changing after all, and if all else fails Chenle could at least flee to the opposite side of the region until he got over the heartbreak.

Looking into Jisung’s curious eyes when he sat down on the opposite side of the table, Chenle tried to remind himself of that fact. He had decided he would do it at the noodle shop, even if it was rather cheap and not that imaginative. It was still the location where they had spent a lot of their time growing up, and Ryujin’s father had long grown used to the site of them occupying a booth.

Even now the older man was in the midst of making their usual orders, only having to glance at them to start preparing them.

“Chenle?” Jisung questioned, drawing him out of his distracting thoughts.

Chenle glanced up from the straw wrapper he was in the middle of shredding, biting his slip, “Jisung?”

“You said you wanted to tell me something? Before we leave on Thursday?” Jisung prompted, head tilting curiously.

Chenle sucked in a deep, fortifying breath, nodding his head. Opening his mouth to just _spit it out_ already, Chenle choked instead when he was interrupted by their bowls being set in front of them. Ryujin’s father glanced between them curiously when he noticed the silence, but then he was offering them both a kind smile, “enjoy, boys.”

Twin murmurs of thanks followed him when he walked away, and Chenle trained his eyes down at his bowl as he snapped his chopsticks apart. Jisung did the same, glancing at him periodically even as he refrained from questioning him again.

It was halfway through the meal that Chenle finally broke, the words choking his throat making him unable to eat another bite, “I like you.”

Jisung paused, chopsticks hovering over his own bowl as his head snapped up so that he could stare at Chenle. There was a beat of silence before he swallowed, and then Jisung spoke with a rasp, “what?”

Chenle tried his best not to fidget in place, letting his chopsticks drop into his bowl as he looked anywhere but at Jisung’s face, “I like you. A lot. Like, romantically. I have for a long time, actually. And you don’t have to say anything, or even say it back! I just… I just really needed to tell you before we leave in case-”

“Chenle.”

Chenle gulped, back to gnawing at his lip as he struggled to look up at Jisung’s face. He hadn’t known what to expect when this moment came, but he definitely hadn’t thought about how _soft_ Jisung’s eyes could be. He was biting his lip as well, his eyebrows furrowed together as he stared at Chenle, his fingers nervously twisting together on the table top.

Then he was setting them flat against the wood and pushing himself up from the booth until he was able to lean over the table, a determined expression wiping away whatever nervousness he had been feeling.

“Jisung?” Chenle breathed out, bewildered and breathless. Jisung didn’t answer him. Instead he just dipped his head until their lips met in a soft brush, both of their eyes fluttering closed immediately. Chenle had imagined _this_ moment before, too many times to count. His imagination didn’t hold a candle to the starbursts that shot through him due that slight touch.

Jisung let out a soft breath, barely a gasp, and then he was pulling away and dropping back against his side of the booth, his face redder than a tamato berry.

Chenle’s eyes had shot wide as soon as Jisung had pulled away, and now the older boy was left gaping at his best friend, his mind having ground to a stand still, “Jisungie?”

Jisung looked away, one hand nervously raised to rub at the back of his neck, “I like you too.”

“Oh,” Chenle breathed, blinking rapidly as he absorbed that information. Then he was grinning, a bright laugh erupting from him without permission as he reached across the table to grab Jisung’s free hand, “You do?”

“I do,” Jisung agreed, glancing back to Chenle even with his blush still out in full force. His hand was gentle in Chenle’s gasp, fingers easily slipping between the elder’s when Chenle intertwined them.

Chenle smiled, “that’s good then.”

Jisung smiled back, and Chenle was just as mesmerized as the first time he had met him.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading QAQ i hope you liked it and you'll tell me what you thought of it! this fic is also used as a way to explain the world i've created, which you can see is quite a different from pokemon's norm of sending ten year olds out into the wild. there's also references to other fics, most notably the nomin one because that's the wip thats been worked on the most.
> 
> also yes, chenle has a german accent. rota's got some german inspired architecture apparently so. that became included uwu
> 
> anyway, thank you for taking your time to read it and i hope to see you in the next one uwu
> 
> [ [twt](https://twitter.com/toxicmew) || [cc](https://curiouscat.me/toxicmew) ]


End file.
